It is a known problem that elderly, infirm, injured, handicapped, disabled, or otherwise mobility-impaired individuals often have trouble moving or being transported from one place to another. Such people will generally be referred to within this disclosure as “patients,” but this term should be understood to include any individual as described above and anyone who may have need of a device to assist in moving from one place to another. Standard wheelchairs have been used for many years to accomplish this, but they have several deficiencies addressed by the present disclosure.
Standard wheelchairs generally have only a single, non-adjustable height. This lack of adjustability may make it difficult to move patients between the wheelchair and a second location, such as a bed, toilet, car seat, or any other place having a disparate height or that is difficult to reach with a standard wheelchair.
Further, standard wheelchairs often have a fixed back. This precludes loading and unloading via the rear side of the chair, necessitating more work and assistance from other people to move the patient to and from the wheelchair.
In addition to standard wheelchairs, other types of transporting apparatuses known in the art also have deficiencies addressed by the present disclosure.
One known apparatus uses a canvas sling that is placed under the patient and then hoisted from above. This device tends to take more than one assistant to operate and be uncomfortable for the patient. As the canvas is lifted from the corners, it tightens around the patient and can cause pain. It has been known even to cause bone problems, for example, in patients with osteoporosis. This type of apparatus may also lead to dropping the patient out of the canvas sling, causing further injury.
These and other limitations are present in known prior art devices having to do with the subject matter of the present disclosure.